Center contact for sockets



Jan. 14, 1930. H. J. MoREY #1,743,374

CENTER CONTACT FOR SOCKETS Filed March '7, 1925 vfig/.1

Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY J. MOREY, OE SYRAGUSE, NEW 'YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PASS & SEYMOUR, INCOR- PORATED, OF SYRACUSE, 'NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK CENTER CONTACT'FOR SOCKETS Application led March 7, 1925.

tact and stationary switch Contact for lamp sockets.

Anotheriobject of the present invention consists in the provision of a one-piece center contact for lamp sockets which requires no fastening means to retain it in position.

A' still further obj ect of the present invention consists in the provision of a one-piece Contact for lamp sockets which shall provide resilient Contact with the center contact button of a lamp, and which will at the same time provide a stationary member to cooperate with one of the movable ,switch elements of the socket.

Still another object of the present inven-4 tion consists in the provisiOn of a stronger bottom insulating button which is not unduly cut away to make room for fastening means for the center contact.

In the accompanying drawing and follow-l ing specification, there is disclosed by way of example only, a single modification of the present invention with the understanding however that various changes may be made therein by those skilledin the art in the size, shape, proportion and arrangement of the various partsy without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In said drawing:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical section through a lamp socket embodying the improved form of center'contact;

Fig. 2 is a partial longitudinal-central section taken 'on line2-2 ofFigure 1;

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the blank used in forming the center contact; and 1 Fig. 4 is a plan view yof the lower insulating button with the center contact removed.

In the manufacture ofA lamp sockets it has long been the aim of manufacturers to reduce Serial No. 13,839.

them to extreme simplicity in order that they may function better, have a longer life, be simpler to manufacture and assemble, and be low in cost. To thisend the present invention contemplates the combining into one piece of the center contact and one of the stationary switch contacts, the complete elimination of fastening means such as screws, nuts, etc. for holding these parts in position and a simplified method of assembly.

There is shown in the drawings a well known form'of lamp socket of the key operated type provided with a switch which opensv the circuit in two places. This socket comprises the screw shell contact 10, the center contact 11, the lower insulatingbutton 12 and the upper insulating button 13. These two insulating buttons 12 and 13 are suitably secured together by screwsl not shown, and are provided each with an inwardly facing recess which recesses cooperate to form a switch chamber. The meeting faces of these two members are provided with channels in which is jouralled the spindle 14 carrying at its outer end the actuating key (not shown )r f and on its center the switch operating cam 15 formed of insulating material and having a lost motion connection with the spindle 14 as shown at 16 in order to provide a snap action, as is well known. The upper insulating button 13 is provided with the two movable switch spring contacts 17 and '18 having the lower or stationary-contact engaging portions 19 and 20; The intermediate bowed portions engage the sides of the switch actu- The ends 21 of Vthese spring contacts are s ecured to the upper insulating button by theV ways connected to an electric circuit and are of opposite polarity.

The screw shell contact 10 is secured to the lower insulating button 12 in any suitable manner and is provided with an integral tab ating cam 15, as clearly shown inFigure 1. c

Vorder to insure rm engagement between the parts 19 and 26. The parts thus far described are all old and Well known.

u The center contact and other stationary! switch contact, generally indicated by 11, are

formed of one integral piece of spring metal punched or stamped to the shape disclosed in Figure 3 .andincludethe straight central portion 29 having a rounded 'end 30 provided Awith they cup-shaped projection 3l which is adapted to engage and contact with the center button on the lamp. The opposite end of thisl member is provided with the widened portion 32 providing the shoulders33. This member'll is adapted to fit in a passage 34 in the lowerinsulating button which leads from thebottom face thereof into the switch compartlnent.'` As shown in Figures 2 and 4, this passage is wider at the top than at the bottom, andv isv provided with the shoulders 35 where the change in width takes place, which shoulders are adapted to engage with the shoulders 33 on the contact member which is placed in the passage from the upper end Y thereof so that the greater part ofthe straight portion 29 projects out below the lower face of the button 12. The widened portion 32 thus remains in the upper portion of the passage in juxtaposition to the tip 20 of the Vspring contact 18 in exactly similar manner to the relation between the tab 26`and the tip 19 of the switch contact 17 so that upon rotation of the cam to a position 90 removed from that disclosed in Figure l, electrical contact is made between the tip 20 and the widened end 32 to thus place the center lamp contact in engagement with the other side ofthe lelectrical circuit.

v The'straight portion 29y of-the center con-i tact is bent over toward thecenter of the insulating button 12 around the 'corner 36 formed by thewbottom wall of the button 12 and the inner wall of the passage 34, to the position shown in Figure l. By being thus bent around the ycorner 36, the contact 11 is Lsecurelyheldin position against materialV movement in the passage. Any such movement is further prevented by the yoverhanging walls 37 at the edges of the widened portions of the passage which however do not project sufliciently over theend 32 of the contact member to be engaged by the movable spring contact 18. The outer wall 38 of the passage provides an abutmentagainst which the end 32 can be pressed by tip 20 when these two parts contact. o In order to secure additional resilience of the center contact vto prevent the lamp from jarring out of position, the hole 39 maybe punched through the straight portion 29 of the contact just where it bends around the shoulder 38 to reduce the amount of metal at this point and thus add to its resilience.

It will be seen from the-above therefore that one of the stationary switch contacts and the centercontact is `formedv of an integral piece of sheet metal which is held in position due toits own shape and the shape ofthe cooperating passage walls and requires-only'to be dropped in position and bent over, as shown, for assembly. VThe face ofthe lower insulating button 12 is provided with the boss i 40 to elevate the center contact above the base of thescrew shell contact to serve in posi- Vtioning the screw shell contact and in positive- 1y preventing engagement between it and the:

center contact. j

By providing the above described means for retaining the center contact in position, a stronger bottom insulating button is obtained since it is not cut away or relieved -tomake room for securing'means 4for the center contact as has been the case in previous forms f of sockets. This effectively insures this button against breakage under severe usage. .j f

Having thus described the invention `what is claimed as newV and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lamp socket, in combination,` an` insulating button having a recess opening Von one face thereof, said recess being connected to the other face by a passage narrower than said recess, a movable switch contact in said recess, and astationary contact therein wider than said passage adapted to be oontacted by said movable contact, said stationary contact having a narrow part projecting through said passage, bent over the other face of said but-ton to form a center contact and retained in place solely byV its cooperation with said button.

2. In a-lamp socket, in combination, an insulating button having a recess therein,.said recess being connectedto one face of said'but-Vv ton by apassage, shoulders formed inthe walls thereof, a'stationary switch `member having a contact portion in said recess yand abutting said shoulders, a reduced portion integral with said contact portion, passing through said passage and bentover saidface of said button to form a center contact, said contact portions cooperating with said shoul-iY A ders and face to hold said member in position. f

3. In a lamp socket, in combinatioman insulating button having a recess therein connected to one face thereof` by a passage having Y acommon wall with said recess, said slot being wider than said recessfor apart of its lengthV and narrower where it opens on said face, a

one-piece conducting member, an enlarged head thereon tting in the Awide portion of said passage and against said common wall and forming a stationary switch contact and a narrow end on said member projecting through said slot and bent over said face to form a center contact.

4C. In a lamp socket in combination, an insulating button having a recess therein connected to one face thereof by a passage having` a common wall with said recess, said passage being Wider than said recess for a part of its length and narrower where it opens on said tace7 a one-piece conducting member, an enlarged head thereon fitting in the wide portion of said slot and against said common wall and forming a stationary switch contact, and a narrow end on said member projecting through said slot and bent over said face to form a center contact, said member being reduced in strength at said bend to enhance its resilience.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature. Y

HARRY J. MOREY. 

